Combined truck and supporting-frame



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-She,et 1.

\I G. B. LEWIS & O. B. PARKS.

Combined Truck and Supporting Frame.

No.. 232,833. Patented Oct. 5,1880.

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(No Model.) 2Sheets--Sheet 2. G. B. LEWIS 3L 0. E. PARKS.

Combined Truck and Supporting Frame. Nu. 232,833. Patented 0C1. 5,1880.

4 UNITED STATES Trina PATENT COMBINED TRUCK AND SUPPORTING-FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,833, dated October 5, 1880.

Application filed July :26, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE B. Lnwrs and OI-IAs. E. PARKS, of Watertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Truck, ash-Bench, and Ironing-Board and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in combined trucks, wash-benches, and ironingboards; and it consists in the combination of four beams or rods, which are connected together in pairs and pivoted together at or near their centers, with an operating-lever, which has a pivotal rod or bar passing through near its inner end, and a rod or bar which passes through the end of the lever on ahigher plane than the pivotal bar, whereby the end of the two pairs of beams or rods may be separated any desired distance for the purpose of lifting stoves or other similar bodies, or forming a wash-bench or an ironing-board, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of our invention is to produce a cheap and simple machine which may be used in setting up and taking down stoves, and moving the stoves from place to place, and which machine can also be used for supportinga washtub, and then be used to support an ironingboard, and when no longer needed can be folded up so as to occupy very little room and put away.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a machine embodying our invention when folded up. Fig. 2 is a similar View, showing themachine ready for use in moving stoves. Fig. 3 is a perspective, showing the machine with its ends raised upward, so as to form a support for a washtub or an ironing-board. Fig. 4. is a perspective of the lever by which the machine is operated and moved around and of the machine held open by the blocking-rod.

A 13 represent two pairs of beams or rods, which are pivoted together at or near their centers. Each one of these pairs of beams or rods are united together, near their outer ends,

(No model.)

by means of the cross-bar O, and these crossbars form the supports or rests upon which the opposite ends of the other pair of beams or rods rest when the two pairs are folded together, as shown in Fig. 1. Each one of these pairs of beams is furnished with casters D at a suitable distancefrom their outer ends,

so that the truck can be drawn freely around from place to place by means of the lever G. This lever G consists of a tongue of suitable length, and which has the pivotal rod Hpassing through it at its lower edge and near its inner end. Also passing through this lever or tongue at its inner end is a rod, 1, which serves to bear against the under side of one of the pairs of beams or rods which form the frame of the truck, and for the purpose of separating their ends.

In the top edge of one of the pairs of beams or rods which form the frame of the truck are made a series of grooves or notches, O, in any one pair of which the pivoting-rod. H of the tongue or lever Gr rests, while the other rod,

I, catches against the under side of the other pair of rods or beams. The rod H forms a pivot or fulcrum upon which the tongue turns 5 and as the rod I is placed upon a higher plane and a suitable distance beyond the pivotal rod toward the inner end of the tongue, it will readily be seen that this tongue serves, also,

as alever for prying the ends of the two pairs of beams AB apart.

When it is desired to use the truck to set and adjust a stove, separate the beams AB by means of the lever G and blocking-bar L until the stove is raised high enough to allow the legs to be put in and zinc board placed underneath; put on the stove-pipe and adjust the stove and zinc board to it, and then lower stove to place by letting them close. NVhere a stove is to be taken down it is only necessary to push the truck under the stove and then pry the ends of the two pairs of beams apart until the stove is raised upward off ofits 5 feet, and then, by drawing upon the tongue, the stove may be transported to any suitable point.

If the stove is of such a construction that it will not admit ofbeing drawn in this manner, then block it by means of the blocking-bar L, which is placed in. one of the pairs of grooves 0. Then remove the lever or tongue and so place it in the grooves in the under surface of the beams at their outer ends that the truck may be drawn by it. By means of this construction stoves can be taken down or set up with the greatest ease and without the slightest danger.

When it is desired to make the truck serve as a Wash-bench, the pivotal bolt H will be pushed forward toward the inner pair of notches, and the ends of the beams separated to any desired degree, according to the height at which it is desired that the bench should be. After the ends of the beams have been raised upward to a suitable height, a board with suitable notches prepared on its under surface for the tub to rest upon is placed upon their upper ends, the lateral and oblique pressure holding it firmly in place.

W'hen-an ironing-board is to be formed, a board having suitable notches in its under side is placed directly upon the top of the upturned ends. The casters are placed sufficiently far from the ends of the beams so that when the beams are separated enough to form an ironingboard the casters are lifted from oft the floor, making afirm and substantial table. When the truck is no longer needed, either for taking down, putting up, moving stoves from place to place, or as a wash-bench or an ironing-board, theparts can be folded together, as shown in Fig. 1, and put away. While there is a load upon the top of the truck the pressure of this load upon the upturned ends holds the pivotal rod H in the notches in which it is resting with sufficient force to prevent the rod or the bolt from coming out while the truck is being drawn around.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. The combination of the two pairs of rods or beams A B,pivoted together at or near their centers, and provided with casters, a suitable lever, and blocking-bar L, for separating their ends, substantially as shown and v described. 3

2. The combination of the two pairs of beams or rods A B, pivoted together at their centers, and provided with suitable notches, with the tongue or lever G, provided with the two rods H I, and the blocking-bar'L, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing'we have hereunto set our hands this 20th day of July, 1880.

GEORGE B. LEWIS. CHAS. E. PARKS.

Witnesses AMOS BAUM, L. It. CADY. 

